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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27391837">acts of service</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/duelistkingdom/pseuds/duelistkingdom'>duelistkingdom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>5 languages of love [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A lot of Hurt, Established Relationship, Hurt and comfort, M/M, Regrets</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:55:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27391837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/duelistkingdom/pseuds/duelistkingdom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the act of risking one's life in service to the one they love can be so personal...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi | Atem, Puzzleshipping - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>5 languages of love [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>acts of service</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the course of time that Yami had known Yugi, he’d seen Yugi do several things for others out of the goodness of his heart. He was certain that there was no one better than Yugi at this point. He supposed he should’ve seen Yugi shoving him out of the seal to let it claim his soul instead coming but it still surprised him. And he realized quite quickly he simply could not shove Yugi back out of the seal and no matter what, it was going to claim Yugi instead of him. Instead of rightfully punishing him for losing and for what he’d done and for not listening to Yugi by means of taking his soul, Yugi was gone. Even worse was Yugi’s last words to him. “I believe in you, other me.”</p><p>How could he have strayed so far? How could he had forgotten that the one person that he should always defer to wasn’t worth risking? To be fair on him, he hadn’t known at the time he was also risking Yugi. Yugi had been sealed away for the duel and there was no way he could’ve known that this was a possibility. He’d been operating under the assumption that Yugi could not do this. Once again, he was more or less thinking of every single thing that Yugi had ever done for him and he allowed himself to glance where he never glances, what he never wants to see: the scars upon Yugi’s hands from assembling the puzzle in the first. He knew they were there but it seemed like while the seal had been in... he couldn’t bring himself to say “his” anymore but he had no other words for the experience so he swallowed the bile and continued onward with his thoughts... hands, he could see nothing but the seal.</p><p>Looking at Yugi’s hands again forced him to remember that the reason he walked around and experienced the world at all was through Yugi. Yugi was allowing him the use of his body despite the risks that came with being a vessel for the Pharaoh. Despite all the threats on Yugi’s life, Yugi continued to remain firmly on his side. Yami felt a little sick for allowing the seal to poison him like that, so easily too. He didn’t understand how he’d allowed himself to be so monumentally foolish and risk everything only to lose in the end. This loss was simply so much worse than any loss he ever thought possible. He could handle losing if it had just meant his soul was taken. No, this felt like a proper and fitting punishment at the end of the day. He had tried to argue with himself that this was not a rightful punishment but no, he realized the truth of it. Losing Yugi was more painful than losing his own soul. This body felt empty without Yugi. Suddenly, every other goal did not matter. The number one priority was getting Yugi back, even if it destroyed him in the process.</p><p>How reckless could he get? Yami had been vaguely aware that he was semi self-destructive but awareness did not always translate into stopping. He could not stop himself anymore. All he could think is that literally nothing mattered unless Yugi was here and ergo, when Haga tore up a card that he claimed to be Yugi’s soul... he could not stop himself. He allowed his rage to take over and he allowed himself to be lost in his own sorrow. Sorrow and rage combined together and the next thing he knew, Haga’s soul was gone too. He had a hard time feeling bad about Haga’s soul being taken but what he did feel sorry about was now Haga could not uphold his end of the bargain. Haga had said if Yami won, he’d tell him where Yugi’s soul was. Now he had little to go on and a deep sorrow in the pit of his stomach that Anzu could not comfort away.</p><p>Anzu was trying her best, really. She knew that he could be reckless and she knew that he loved Yugi. How could she not? And Anzu loved the both of them. They were both her friends and she understood the pain that Yami was feeling without Yugi. But no matter how much she assured him they’d get Yugi back, Yami felt guilt every time he looked at her. How could she be so confident in him after he’d lost her best friend? Yami was now aware of the danger his hands held and the fact that his mere existence was a threat to everyone around him. And Yugi had paid the highest price for the danger he brought. Yugi, who was too good for him. Everything about Yugi was just too perfect, too pure, and too wonderful for Yami. Even as he was sacrificing himself, he found time to express his faith in Yami specifically.</p><p>Faith was hard to keep hold of when he felt like there was simply no chance of getting Yugi back. And yet, despite everything, Yugi came back to him. And not only that, when Yugi came back to him, Yugi smiled and launched himself at Yami, pulling him into a hug as if nothing had changed between them as the result of Yami being willing to play the seal. Yami had been surprised by this reaction. Did Yugi not understand that all Yami brought was danger? As much as Yami wanted to protest, before he even opened his mouth, Yugi shut him with a kiss. “Don’t you dare start apologizing, other me,” Yugi said sternly when he pulled away, a teasing grin on his face. “I told you I believed you and you pulled through. You took down Dartz and that’s what matters.”</p><p>With that, Yami’s hand went to Yugi’s cheek and he thought about how their journey together must be coming to an end soon. Yugi was more assertive now, more willing to admit what he wanted, and more willing to stand up for himself. Yami was well aware of a singular truth that neither of them ever addressed: Yugi was always better than he was. Yugi was selfless and always chose forgiveness when he did not have to. It was the basic truth: Yami needed Yugi far more than Yugi needed him. “I could not have done it if I was not chasing your light,” Yami said softly, surrendering himself to the truth. “I am... trying so hard to be worthy of you.”</p><p>Yugi seemed surprised by this and frowned as he tried to puzzle out Yami’s statement. “How could you not realize you’ve always been worthy of love,” Yugi asked softly, unaware of the irony of him of all people saying this. Yami had seen Yugi’s memories, how Yugi felt and he did not fathom how Yugi did not understand that he had always deserved love and friendship. Not only did Yugi deserve those things, he had those things. And yet Yugi decided to lecture Yami on it? It didn’t make sense to him. “Other me, I... I did what I did because I already think you’re worthy. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”</p><p>“I have everything to prove,” Yami said softly, reaching to take Yugi’s hands in his. The fire, he thought absently. How could he prove himself worthy of Yugi when Yugi did things like for him? His thumb ghosted over the scars that Yugi had received from rebuilding the puzzle while surrounded by flames and he thought once again of how Yugi simply was grateful that the reason he had entered Battle City was not for rare cards but for searching of his memories. How even in the face of death, Yugi remained so brave and kind. How could he ever be worthy of such a man?</p><p>“You really don’t have to prove anything to me,” Yugi insisted once again, moving in closer as he pressed a soft kiss to Yami’s cheek. Yugi, at this point, had nothing but blind faith in Yami. At the end of the day, he knew that Yami was good and deserved nothing but the best. “I assure you: to me, you’re already amazing.”</p><p>Still, Yami frowned as he pressed a gentle kiss to one of the scars upon Yugi’s hands. The burn scars that haunted his very dreams, really. Yami wondered if they’d ever heal properly. It’d been so long since the fire and yet they were still as pink as the day they first appeared on Yugi’s skin. In ghost form, Yami did not have such scars himself. There was no proof that Yami would walk on coals for Yugi, no such proof that Yami would risk his own life for Yugi. Was that fair? Yami did not have any answers for what fair was anymore. “Aibou, I promise,” he said as softly as he could, squeezing Yugi’s hands. Yugi titled his head, his eyes wide. “I’ll be worthy of you.”</p>
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